


happy and shiny.

by onlyeli



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: (':, Child Abuse, Other, Parent Death, i wanna die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 18:49:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10577325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyeli/pseuds/onlyeli
Summary: The day JD's life changed.





	

it’s cold that day, small hand clasped tightly in hers, frigid wind biting at his ears and nose. her long black hair is tied back high in a ponytail, loose curls dangling in her wide brown eyes. his mother is truly beautiful, heart shaped face and cupid’s bow lips making her appear like a real-life angel that she showed him in the big illustrated bible she used for storytime. she had been so frail & quiet lately, deep purple bruises under her eyes & on her wrists. JD knows that his dad isn’t kind to his mom —- he hits her sometimes, and hitting people isn’t nice. the bullies that infest every school hall hit people, and he hates them for it ( even at this age he is rejecting society’s norms. he resents those who have more control than they deserve ). there’s a lot of noise around him, of moving cars and yelling men, boxes loaded and unloaded as his father laughs obnoxiously with some co-workers – “ if it’s in your way, i’ll make your day! ”

she tries to say something to him —- her mouth opens, she tilts her head a little to face him. he’s only just up to her elbow, shorter now than he will be in later years, but he’s tall enough to hear her mutter his name ; “Jason.” she’s softly spoken, gentle as she turns to cup his cheek with a shaking hand. his lips part in a reassuring smile – however young he was, he still had to be strong for her. neither of them can do it alone, & JD feels he must let her know that she has him. while she may have lost the man she fell in love with to booze & tnt, her son stays by her side.

she doesn’t say goodbye to him. her eyes fill with tears —- he looks slightly concerned, trying to hug her, but she stops him, taking his hands & pressing an airy kiss to his forehead. she’s barely there, made of dust as her chapped lips brush his freckled skin. he wants to ask her if she’s alright, but she turns her back on him & walks away. he watches her go, chest constricting tightly. she couldn’t be going to retrieve something she’d left — they hadn’t been allowed to enter the building before his father - oh, no.

the shout that announces the countdown shocks him out of his stillness, and he sprints to his father’s arm, yelling in a voice that was so different from his usual soft tones. the orange earmuffs Big Bud Dean sports and his general ignorance of his son causes JD to be waved off, detonator clutched in the hand that smacks him away. a co-worker grabs his shoulders, shoving some ear protection over his head & shooting him a disdainful look.

❝she’s still in there! dad, she went in!❞

he’s still yelling helplessly when she appears at the second story window, fingers spread in a regal wave. she’s crying ( _he's_  crying ), & he’s still yanking at the sleeves of one of his father’s assailants fruitlessly. she shakes her head at him, and her mouth moves in the shape of his initials —– and then the world shakes, the foundations of the building crumbling along with his strength. he screams as fire licks at the bricks of the library, mother out of sight. he’s WEAK in that moment, and his father holds too much power. he will NEVER let himself feel like this again. he’ll get his mother back and they’ll leave together. she’ll be alright, if he can just find her –

his frantic thoughts are disturbed by an explosion so severe it rattles his bones and haunts his nightmares for years to come.


End file.
